Ducati

Although Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. is part of Audi (via its subsidiary Lamborghini, which is owned by the Volkswagen Group), the Italian company is often referred to as the Ferrari of the motorcycle world. Starting with the clip-on-engined Cucciolo in 1946, the company has since grown in size and sophistication. Today, Ducati competes successfully in both MotoGP and World Superbike, and production sportbikes like the flagship 1,103cc Panigale V4—named for the company’s ancestral home in Borgo Panigale—carry the same DNA as the racebikes. But the Ducati motorcycle bandwidth is vastly wider than a track, with approachable entry-level machines like the Monster 797 and Scrambler series inviting new riders to the sport, the versatile Multistrada range offering a balance of sport riding, touring, and commuting prowess, and the exciting Hypermotard, Supersport, and Diavel power cruiser dishing out a unique brand of two-wheel V-twin performance.